Improved washing-machine



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Lette/rs .Patent No. 90,817, dated June 1, 1869.

IMPRovBD wAsING-MACHINE.

The Schedule referred to iu these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To' all whom 'it may concern Be itgknown that I, FRANK BUCKELEW, of SanRafael, in the county of Marin, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in,Washing-Machines; vand I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention is to provide a washingmachine, so constructed that the clothes may be washed without the necessity of rubbing them.

To do this, I employ a water-tight tub, of the ordinary construction, but with inclined ends.

Through the tub passes a shaft, upon which is keyed a hub, and from it radiating-arms extend.

The ends of these arms are provided with slots, in which the clothes are placed, and the ends of which depend at each side.

The usual suds is placed in the tub, and the cover closed tightly, when, by means of a crank, at the side of the tub, the wheel is turned, which carries around the arms to which the clothesare attached, and causes them to strike against the incline sides of the tu'b, passing through the Water and suds at every turn of the wheel, which soon removes all uncleanliness.

Washing clothes by striking or swinging the fabric against a pounding-board was early practised by the Chinese in California; but woe befel the owner of a limited supply of shirts who wished to appear respect- Iable with a white linen front at an evening party, and who ha`d intrusted his all to a Chinese washer-man, to be returned in time for the evenings entertainment. as the fabric wasrfound, in most cases, to be torn into shreds, by reason `of excessive pounding.

But such is not the case where my machine is used, and the clothes are not so much impaired as where the ordinary rubbing is resorted to, in order to even get them partially cleansed.

Referring tothe drawings for a-further description of my device- Figure 1 is a vertical section.

Figure 2 is a plan of the hub and slotted arms.

My tub I construct water-tight, and in the usual way, with the exception that I make the ends A B inclining to the bottom, which aiiords the striking, or pounding-surface.

lhe cover C is also attached, in a novel manner, by .means of a cleat, D, placed at the side, so that when the cover is raised, it will be supported, and not be torn from its hinges. l

A shaft, oi' axis, E, passes through the tub, and upon it is slipped a hub, which rests against a shoulder on -the shaft, andk is -hcld by a pin.

From the hub F extend radial arms G, having slotted ends G G', throng-h which the pieces to be washed are drawn, in which position they may be held by a l small cord.

Where clothes of considerable length are to be washed, such 'as sheets, they may be placed in the slots', folded double, and the position lof the clothes Ychanged occasionally, so that allv parts of them may be caused to impinge alternately against the poundingboards. i

The machine is easily turned by the crank in lone direction, or the reverse, and will soon accomplish the object sought to be attained, of washing clothes clean without injury to the fabric.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat# ent, is

Constructing the tub with the supporting-cleat D, and with inclined sides A B, aga-inst which the fabric strikes as the wheel is turned, with the radial arms G, provided with vopenings G', to which the fabric to be washed is attached, as set forth and shown, for the purposc specied.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set .my hand and seal.

FRANK BUCKELEW. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

C. W. M. SMITH, PHILIP HINKLE. 

